I Have Nothing
by PeridotPoppy
Summary: Perry was just the priest of Celesta Church, until his life was utterly changed by the bluenette librarian from Flowerbud Village... Songfic containing Whitney Houston's 'I Have Nothing'... Crossgame pairings, don't hate 'em.


**A/N- So, I know songfics are 'illegal' and all that jazz, but... I just could NOT resist this one... With my fave crack, cross-game pairing... Maria/Perry.**

**WITH a little assistance from Whitney Houston's "I Have Nothing."****  
**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Perry held the hand of the gorgeous, blue-haired librarian, Maria, and lovingly led her into the open-wide doors of Celesta Church. He had loved her so strongly for so long, and cherished her company... Looking into her brownish purple eyes, Perry felt a feeling of true longing. Longing, not only to spend the rest of his life with her, but to pray with her, to eat with her, and to say goodnight to her, and to love her for the rest of his life as a priest.

_Share my life, accept me for what I am. 'Cause I'll never change, all my colors for you..._

Everything about Maria made Perry's heart do a reverse double-tailspin. EVER since she'd stepped off that boat to Castanet Island, hailing from Flowerbud Village. Perry knew all too well how long-distance relationships didn't work. But as soon as he set his eyes on Maria, there was no turning back. Her bashful, intelligent manners, her sharp vocabulary, her silky blue hair... He could honestly say it turned him on.

Also, Maria had come to Castanet in the first place, because Flowerbud Village didn't have an accessible church. She turned to Castanet's own Celesta Church, pleading for spiritual forgiveness. Every Sunday evening, Maria would make absolute sure the library was in tip-top shape before she left off, on boat, to Castanet Island. All the books were in perfect organization, the computer's due dates were in place, and her keys locked the Library's doors. Then she set off for Celesta Church, and for Perry too.

And recently, every Sunday has turned into a little more than, well, 'every Sunday'. Yes, Perry and Maria have been praying routinely with each other, under watch of the Goddess, but just a little more intimately, and serenely. Holding each others hands now, the two blue-haired, young couple stepped quietly into the Church. Maria looked deeply into Perry's yellow eyes.

"Are you sure it's okay, you know, to be here so late?" Maria whispered softly into his ear. With that, Perry playfully put a hand over Maria's mouth, smiling brightly. "Of course, Maria, my dear. I personally own the Church. We can visit here _anytime_ we please." Never breaking his tight grasp on Maria's hand, he used his other hands to flick on the lightswitch. It was 21:00, so the Church was pretty much pitch-black. Dimming the lights so the halogen wouldn't damage Maria's eyes, the two casually strolled down the long isles of the Church. Both their eyes were focused intently on the front-left pew. They always prayed, right there, in that exact spot.

_Take my love, I'll never ask for too much... Just all that you are, and everything that you do..._.

She leaned a little closer into Perry's ear, half-nibbling, half-speaking again in a hushed tone. "I came here so late... to pray about something VERY special, you know."

"Something... s-spe...cial?" he stammered with genuine surprise. "D-Do tell."

"I wanted to pray about... You know... us?" Maria struggled to find correct words. "A-And the future that t-the Goddess m-might have in store... for... us..." she stared at the pew infront of her; boring a hole in it with her eyes, with her intense gaze. She was afriad she couldn't look up without smiling at Perry, and Maria wanted to set a mysterious yet serene mood into the Church. Smiling wouldn't help.

_I don't really need to look... Very much further... I don't want to have to go... Where you don't follow._

Dipping his head down, but at the same time, schooching a little closer to Maria, he asked softly. "Would you like me to begin the sermon, my... my love?"

She nodded, a little flustered by Perry's words. "Sure, go right ahead, my love..._" _she imitated, lovingly of course. Perry's mind, after hearing this, completely went into overdrive. He just wanted Maria so badly, with all his holy, pure soul and spirit. But he needed to work his passionate, longing, love-filled words into prayer, somehow... somehow...

But how?

_I won't hold it back again... this passion inside... _

_Can't run from myself... there's no where to hide...!_

"Dear Goddess, listen to me, I plea." Perry said with some assertion, spiritual forte. "We both, love you with all the love that our souls can supply- Under the holy faith of your watch, my... love, Maria and I... have some words we'd like to share about the future. The future is a vast, unknown sea of unforseen, clouded events. Dear Goddess, it is up to you to decide our future, but this evening, I would really like to pray about Maria, and our unfathomable life events to come..."

_Don't make me cloo-oose one more door! I don't wanna hurt, anymore..._

"Holy mother, don't make me eliminate ALL my options. Don't make me close that one door... That door, that door, it leads to my happiness. I pray, plead, please lead me away from all the obstructions, all those _pesky_ misconceptions, that shade my genuine passion for my dear, Maria.

"Maria IS my happiness, dear Goddess, and let her be mine. I don't wish to LONG for her warmth anymore, with such intensity that it begins to hurt... I don't wish to hurt ANY longer... I want her." Making the sign of the cross, he dipped his head and whispered. "Under the King, the sprites, and the holy Goddess...Amen."

Maria, just gawking at Perry for a long, over-estimated 10 minutes, she finally found her voice. It was 'trapped' somewhere in her throat, but she promptly obtained it...

"Perry, I... I had absolutely NO idea y-you, umm... Felt such strong passion about me!"

Perry lifted his head up from the 'standard' praying position. Opening his eyes very slowly, she could tell that Perry was fully rejuvenated by a good prayer session.

"I wasn't lying. I needed to get ALL that out. I needed to express my love for you- In the most holy, pure way a priest could." he snuggled closer to Maria, and wrapped his arms around her waist. Gasping softly, Maria succumbed to Perry, and rested her head on his shoulders. What was he getting at...? Somehow, she loved it... She didn't want to leave his arms!

_Stay in my arms, if you dare... Or must I... imagine you there?_

Perry raised his arms, and caressed her face with a soft hand. Maria, once again, fell victim to Perry's intoxicating touch. Maria felt like she had genuinely found the love of her life, at that very moment. Maria wanted to fly, fly so far away with Perry, that no one could ever disturb them. His adorable, regardless spirituality had now gone half-way out the window, and she sort of liked it. She knew Perry was a strong person, underneath all of his morals and values, but she never imagined him doing this...!

_Don't walk away from me... I have nothing, nothing, nothing... If I don't have you._

"You do realize, I have close to _NOTHING_ without you, Maria." Perry stated with a gentle tone, but also with some certainty.

"No, stop. You do so..." she shook her head with remorse. "You have the Church, you have Mira, you even have this island."

Perry froze with annoyance. "Dear, you must know by now that Mira means absolutely NOTHING to me." Perry said with a good amount of assertion. "She is no more than a Church patron... I'd be more than willing to leave the island... But _only_ for you. Never for anyone else."

"No, just stop it... I love you, but you shouldn't love me to the extremes..." she sighed.

"But, Maria, my love, you don't understand. I wish to... If only YOU could see yourself, through my eyes..." Perry looked up at the ceiling, almost, as if he were praying. "You'd see nothing but perfection. Perfection in the most surreal form."

_You see through, right to the heart of me... You break down my walls... With the strength of your love._

Maria sighed wistfully into Perry's shoulder, following his endearing compliments. It was almost as if, the opposite of what Perry's prayers were come true. Why was she trying to close the door between them? Maria loved him, Perry, more than she had ever loved anything. She had to take action, before he briefly forgot that.

_I never knew love, like I've known it with you... Will a memory survive? One I can hold onto with you...?_

No book, no literature, no NOTHING, could compete with Perry's passion about her. Theodore, her dedicated father, knew all the facts and stories she'd told him about Perry. He was aware that they were daringly meeting each other, routinely, every Sunday.

But, one evening, when Maria came to her father for advice about her extreme crush for him, Theodore spoke the most valuable words of wisdom to her; on that very day.

"A man needs to be completely CRAZY about you, willing to do anything to get you, willing to die for you, until you submiss yourself to him."

Those words echoed in her mind, over and over. Had she fell into Perry's clutch too early? What if everything went absolutely haywire, just a day after today? Maria's thoughts went rampant as she couldn't help but predict all the worst-case scenarios, in their clouded future. Maria had to let Perry know that she loved him, as much as he loved her, until their future would be truly be clear... To her, and for him too.

_I don't really need to look, very much further... I don't want to have to go... Where you don't follow..._

Maria inhaled deeply, and finally let her thoughts be known to him. "Perry, I love you with all my heart."

_ I won't hold it back again, this passion inside... Can't run from myself, there's nowhere to hide...!_

"A TRUE relationship must be balanced, the man and the woman both have an equal amount of love for one another, for it to really work out."

_Don't make me cloo-oose one more door... I don't wanna hurt, anymore..._

"I want to balance it out... right here, right now..." Maria whispered mysteriously into Perry's ear, while slowly decreasing the amount of space between the two bluenette's lips. Perry, quickly catching onto her intentions, clutched her waist with gentle intensity. This must've been a godly form of love. Perry never wanted to let go of Maria. Ever. At that moment. He grabbed onto her waist, and pulled her closer to him, like the apocalypse was right around the corner. Maria smelled the vintage aroma of the Church, and relaxed her lips.

_Stay in my arms, if you dare... Or must I imagine you there...?_

Gradually leaning into Perry, closer & closer by every passing second, she finally embraced Perry's lips with a gentle, loving kiss. While this kiss was in it's glory, Perry broke off, gasping with pure excitement. He quickly resumed gently kissing his lovely maiden Maria, but also reached for the pocket in his priest robes... She inhaled his anxious scent, and opened her eyes to look at Perry's pocket. What in the name of holy sprites was he reaching for? Never breaking the kiss he had with Maria, he pulled out a small, blue velvet box, and moved it in the general direction of Maria.

_Don't walk away from me... No!_

Perry slowly opened the small box, revealing something she NEVER thought she'd ever see- A simply stunning, sparkly, elegant diamond ring with a titanium-alloy holder. Maria's eyes went as wide as the night-sky's full moon, and she broke the kiss, but only hesitantly, and with pure shock & awe still in-tact.

"B-By the G-Goddess...!" Maria was at a loss for words.

_I have nothing._

"Maria, the love of my life..." Perry said, grinning from ear-to-ear. Maria was beaming intensely, as well.

_Nothing._

"I have loved you for quite some time now... but... I must ask... Will you marry me?"

_Nothing._

Not hesitating for more than a few seconds, she answered with a firm, but wistful tone.

"Y-Yes! I will...!"

_If I don't have you..._

Embracing each other in a purely blissful hug, they both just started laughing. They were both left speechless from the shocking series of events that had just happened. Perry let out a small, salty tear of joy, and it ran down onto Maria's dress, leaving a stain.

The Goddess really WAS watching over them, answering all their prayers, smiling down at the couple's future...

That they, and ONLY they, would create together.

~Fin~


End file.
